Striking design sets Linea apart

When Linea takes its place in Surrey City Centre, it will be a standout in more ways than one.

Rising to 28 storeys, the 236-home project from developer Rize will have a look that the company’s Steven Cox says will distinguish it from its counterparts.

“The tower provides for incredibly efficient floor plans and the exterior appearance of the building is quite striking and overwhelmingly organic,” said Cox, Rize’s head of creative. “There will be free-flowing, curved balconies surrounding the entire outside of the building.

“It almost looks like it’s undulating and each suite will have an enormous, over-sized balcony, much larger than the pegged-on balconies that you sometimes see on other towers. It will look very different from its more rectilinear neighbours.”

Linea is a project from Rize in Surrey. [PNG Merlin Archive]PNG

Rize, a company whose leaders describe themselves as boutique developers of large-scale projects, has been operating exclusively in Metro Vancouver for the past 25 years, developing both residential and commercial buildings. The company’s residential developments under construction include The Independent at Main and Broadway and a Metrotown project called Gold House.

“We’ve got a rich history of interesting and unique projects in and around Vancouver,” Cox said. “We’ve also worked in Richmond and Burnaby and now we’re building homes in Surrey. We’re a fairly small group, but we take on some pretty big developments.”

Rize’s previous projects include The Ralston at the north end of Granville Street bridge, as well as Metropolis, one of the first projects to take advantage of the City of Vancouver’s heritage density bonus program. Under this program, developers were given permission to create new residential density in exchange for rehabilitating and legally protecting heritage buildings.

“One of the things that’s unique about Rize compared to other developers is that we produce homes that are pretty unique architecturally,” Cox said. “This means that we tend to cater more to end users, people who love their homes because they speak to them emotionally.”

Linea, which will take its place at 13318 104 Avenue, is the work of IBI Architects and False Creek Design Group. The condos will have one to three bedrooms and the project will include an as-yet-undisclosed number of townhomes.

Cox said that Surrey represents a big opportunity for Rize, describing the city as having an optimistic and diverse population that’s open to new and innovative ideas.

“We see Surrey City Centre as the downtown of the future for Metro Vancouver,” Cox added. “Surrey’s population will surpass Vancouver’s within a decade and with the rapid transit that is being developed or is already in place, there’s no reason for it not to continue to grow at an incredible pace. It’s got the beginnings of the key infrastructure that people want from a livable city as well as academia, business and culture. These things will really set it up for the future.”

Linea will have more than 14,000 square feet of amenities, including a 7,000-square-foot outdoor courtyard, an outdoor patio combined with an indoor lounge area, a two-storey gym, a yoga studio, a games room, a common kitchen and a shared co-working space.

“A lot of people in this neighbourhood were talking about wanting to have better home office options,” said Cox. “As a result, we’ve developed a substantial space that will go on the ground floor of the building for people who want to work from home.”

Homes at Linea will have eight-foot, eight-inch ceilings, air conditioning, wireless smart thermostats and wide-plank laminate wood flooring in warm grey or pearl throughout living spaces. Kitchens include quartz countertops and backsplashes, as well as single-bowl, under-mounted sinks with Baril pull-down faucets. There are Blomberg built-in refrigerators, Fulgor Milano convection wall ovens and induction cooktops. Homes above 800 square feet will come with 30-inch appliances and all homes include Blomberg front-load washers and integrated dryers.

“In Surrey, we’re expecting buyers from a younger demographic – people who may have entered the market in the last five years or so and are looking to get into something a little bit larger. We’re also seeing a sizable group of first-time buyers who are looking to get into the market in one of the few remaining locations in the Lower Mainland that is still within reach in terms of affordability.”

The sales centre for Linea at 10249 King George Boulevard, which is within walking distance of the Surrey City Centre Skytrain station, will be opening its doors today. Homes range from 474 to 1,491 square feet. Prices start from the high $300,000s for one-bedroom homes, the high $400,000s for two-bedroom homes and the low $600,000s for three-bedroom units.

“You’re close to everything at Linea,” Cox said. “On top of that, you’ll be living in a home that is really innovative in terms of its design and it’s at an affordable price point.”

Linea

Project location: 13318 104 Ave, Surrey

Project size: 236 homes ranging in size from 474 to 1,491 square feet. Prices start from the high $300,000s for one-bedroom homes, the high $400,000s for two-bedroom homes and the low $600,000s for three-bedroom units.

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